Generation of heat and motive power.



D. LE R. DRESSER. GENERATION OF HEAT AND MOTIVE POWER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31,1912.

Patented Dec. 31, 1912.

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Patented Dec. 31, 1912.

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1). LE R. DRESSER. GENERATION OF HEAT AND MOTIVB POWER. APPLICATIONFILED JULY 31, 1912.

INVENTOR WITNESSES 2 /i wnww- UNITED STATES PATENT FFTCE.

DANIEL LE ROY DRESSER, OF NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOB TO THE DRESSERGENERATOR COMPANY, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

GTINERATION OF HEAT AND MOTIVE POWER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 31, 1 912.

Application filed July 31, 1912. Serial No. 712,476.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l. DANIEL Ln lROY DRESSER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at and whose post-oflice address 15 Newport. county ofNewport, and Stateof lihode Island, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Generation of Heat and Motive Power; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art. towhich itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates tocertain new and useful improvements in thegeneration of heat and of motive pow-er. from the combustion of fuel,and has for its object to avoid, in large measure, the serious heatlosses incident to the customary methods of the consumption of fuel andin combustion motors more particularly, and to lace at the disposal ofthe user a combine generator and pressure storage chamber, wherein theheat radiated from the combustion chamber is taken up and transmitted tovthe generated gases in the storage chamber; the operation beingconducted under such conditions of practice that the generator chambershall progressively deliver into the storage chain ier its products ofcombustion, so as to make way for the continuous admission into thecombustion chamber of a combustible mixture of air and fuelsubstantially uncontaminated by the presence of combus-.

tion gases.

In the practiceof my invention, I locate the combustion chamber withinor encompassed by the storage chamber, 50 that, in addition to thesensible heat of the products of combustion which enter the storagechamber through the passages connecting it with the combustion chamber,the heat radiated from the walls of the combustion chamber will be'likewise transmitted to the stored gases. The air and fuel constitutingthe combustible or explosive mixture are supplied in appropriatequantity to the interior of the combustion chamber and may be suitablyignited therein, in any appropriate way, as, for instance, by anigniting flame, or by a spark-plug, or by the heat of the interior wallsof the combustion chamber, as is well understood in the art. In order topreheat the fuel when it is a gas or vapor, or in order to both preheatand vaporize or gasify it when it is a liquid, I may conven- 'preferhowever the l tion chamber, so as to permit iently provide the fuelsupply pipe with a coil, located in the storage chamber and subjected tothe heat of the stored gases. The air and fuel are adapted to besupplied to the combustion chamber under such suitable injectingpressure as may be necessary for their feed.

In order to assure the prompt removal of the exploded gases or theproducts of combustion from the combustion chamber, I provide means forcreating a suction at the end of the chamber nearest the exhaust. Thismay be effected in various ways, the fundamental principle involvedbeing to exhaust the explosion or combustion chamber into the storagechamber. products of combustion or the exploded gases are drawn from theexplosion or combustion chamber, the new explosive or combustiblemixture follows, but is unmixed with the products of combustion.

In order to increase the volume of the storage gases, I preferablyprovide in the storage chamber a quantity of water or other vaporizableliquid which may be maintained at a suitable level therein. The heat ofthe products of combustion vaporizes a portion of the water, and thewater vapors, converted into steam, or even in part'decomposed andforming new combinations with the products of combustion serve not onlyto increase the volume of the stored gases, but also to moderate theexcessive temperatures that might otherwise be developed within theapparatus. I

Any suitable exhaust device may be employed for the'purpose ofexhausting the products of combustion from the explosion or combustionchamber, as, for instance, a vacuum pump located below the level of theBy so doing, as the water in the storage chamber and operated from theoutside by a suitable device through a stufling box, and having its feedpipe lead tothe exhaust end of the explosion or combustion chamber andhaving its delivery pipe leading from the pumpvto the storage chamberand preferably above the water. I

exhaust device hereinafter shown, which consists of a rotatory adjunct,having a series'of radial arms, ber at their free ends, after the mannerof a reaction wheel or Barkers mill, this adjunct being supported uponsuitable bearings at the lower part of the explosion or combus of readyrota- Jill tion. This rotatory adjunct of the combusiton chamber isprovided with a shaft whereby it may be given a rapid movement ofrotation from any suitable source of power, as, for instance, by meansof a belt pulley or the like.

By reason of the speed of rotation of the radial arms, sufficientcentrifugal force is generated to cause the products of combustionwithin the arms to be thrown outward into the storage chamber, whereuponthe new explosive or combustible charge on entering rushes down to fillthe place thus vaated. in this way, the movement is maintained. and. asthe arms rotate, with their eXit orifices either pointing backward fromthe direction of rotation or supplied With devices. hereinafter morespecifically described, which act as siphons, the gases from the storagechamber cannot reenter the arms nor can the exert a back pressl'irc uponthe products of combustion sufficient to prevent their exit into the stoage chamber. On the contrar the movement of the products of combustionis always outward from the explosion or combustion chamber into thestorage chamber. The complete and practically instantaneous exit of theexploding gases, under these circumstances. together with the completecombustionand high temperatures obtained in the combustion chamber, isfound, in practice, to entirely avoid the deposition of carbon upon theinner walls of the combustion'chamber, or upon the terminals of thespark plug. So also, while the temperature of the inner walls of thecombustion chamber is always maintained at a high degree, thetemperature of the outer walls is lowered by radiation into thesurrounding storage chamber space, and without the sacrifice of theenergy of the heat thus radiated, in view of the fact that it is takenup and absorbed by the gases which are in the storage chamber.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents partly in section. andpartly in elevation, a suitable form of apparatus embodying myinvention; Fig. 2 represents a top plan view of the rotatory exhaustadjunct or exhaust chamber; Fig. 3 represents a-view partly in section,of the outer end of a modified construction of the radial arms of theexhaust chamber; and Fig. 4 represents a similar view to Fig. 1, of amodification.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout theseveral views.

Referring to the drawing. A indicates the generator chamber, and B thestorage chamber in which the generator chamber is inclosed. The storagechamber B is pro vided with any suitable outer jacket C of asbestos orlike material for lessening radiation into the outer air. As will beunder stood, it is likewise provided with the usual gages, safetyvalves, mud-valve c and the like, as required, and its contents may bewithdrawn, as required, for motive or-other useful purposes, through avalved discharge pipe as D. This delivery pipe should preferably beconnected directly to the motor or motors or machines requiring heat tobe served and should be as short as possible so that losses by radiationmay be diminished in passing from the storage chamber to the place ofuse.

The fuel pipe I) is preferably provided with a coiled section a locatedwithin the storage rec-cptacle. The fuel pipe enters the combustionchamber, as indicated. and is sup plied under any suitable pressureappropriate to the prevailing condition of use and the particular fuelselected. The fuel employed may, as hereinbefore indicated, he gaseous.vaporous, or liquid, and the invention lends itself particularly to theutilization of crude oils, such as Lima oil, or the like, which areavailable in large. quantities at a low price. although it will, ofcourse, be understood that when a liquid fuel is employed. naphtha,petrol, Wood alcohol, or any of the familiar liquid fuels, or a powderedsolid (such as gunpowder) may be utilized. ac cording to the particularexigencies of u e.

Air admitted through the pipe F may be conveniently supplied underpressure from any air-supply tank G having the usual check-valves, andadapted to receive compressed air from an air-compressing pump, whosefunction is to maintain a given pressure in the air tank appropriate tothe demands of the apparatus. 'The pipe F may be provided with anautomatically operated or hand-operated needle-valve Z) for regulatingthe amount of air supplied to the combustion chamber, and a similarautomatically operated or hand-operated valve m is provided forregulating the fuel supply. The spark plug d is adapted to be operatedfrom a suitable n'iagneto generator. to initiate the ignitions in thecombustion or ex plosion chamber A, although it will be understood thatafter the inner walls of the explosion chamber have attained asufficiently high temperature, the ignitions will be effected withoutthe aid of the spark plug, which may thereupon be put out of service.

At its lower end, the combustion chamber A is provided with the rotatoryexhaust device hereinbefore referred to. This exhaust deviceconveniently consists of a series of radial arms 6 bent at their outerends e in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation andradiating from a chamber f, whose walls are prolonged upwardly to form acylindrical sleeve 9. The rotating exhaustchamber is likewise providedwith an internal annular flange it having a groove for the i. receptionof ball-bearings as shown. these ball-bearings likewise fitting into acorresponding groove of an exterior flange 2' upon the prolonged end ofthe combustion chamber. So also. a groove for the reception ofball-bearings is provided on top of the flange 1 and actirrespondinggroove on the bottom of a screw-threaded nut j whichengages an internal thread of the cylindrical wall portion g. Therotatory exhaust device is therefore adapted to rotate freely upon theball-bearings, and the nut j is slightly spaced away from theprolongation of the combustion chamber which it encircles. so as toavoid frictional contact therewith. and also to permit the ent 'ance oflubricating oil which may be supplied if desired through the pipe in. Soalso, the

rotatory exhaust device may carry the water i take-up pipe 121 whoselower end 71 is adapted to dip below the surface of the water con- 5tamed 1n the storage reservolr and to thereby supply a quantity of waterto the rotatfor a further purpose hereinafter described.

belt pulley s or the like. the water or other I dioxid and the wateryvapor produced as an incident of the combustion have a tendency to fallthrough the'extension of the combustion chamber because of their weight.This tendency is amplified by the. water or watery vapor supplied fromthe pipe m. and which finds its way down through the ball-bearings intothe space f where it joins the outgoing products of combustion. Therapid rotation of the exhaust chamber. therefore, continuously depletesthe combustion chamber of its products of coi'nbustion and supplies themto the storage chamber without. The

ope'ation is a practically continuous one.

in the sense that a rapidly recurringscries of explosions takes place inthe combustion chamber, accompanied by a continuous dis charge of theproducts of combustion into 1 the storage chamber. and a continuous admission of air and fuel into the combustion chamber in the predeterminedquantities I requisite for complete combustion. The rising parts, asindicated in Flgs. l and Q. and

ing temperature in the storage chamber produces an appropriatevaporization from the The rotatory chamber 18 provided with a shaft 7'winch passes through a stufiing-box vaporizable liquid supplied to theinteriori of the storage chamber. may be injected theremto 1n anysuitable manner as for in stance. by a Gltfard 1n ector X. or the like.

It will further be understood that a suitable I hand-hole, or the like,as Y may be pro-- vided in order to obtain ready access to the interiorof the storage chamber.

In order to lessen resistance to the rotation of the radial arms, Ipreferably fill in the space between them as far as possible, asindicated, so as to give them as a whole, the disk-like configurationshown.

The parts of the device being constructed and arranged as described. andthe mode of operation is as follows: A suitable charge of fuel and airbeing supplied to the colitbustion chamber A and preferably mixedtherein. it is then ignited by the spark plug 6 or its equivalent. Theresulting explosion projects the products of combustion through theradial tubes 0. assisted by the rotation of the exhaust chamber due tothe application of power to the belt pulley s. As a consequence, theproducts of combustion are at once withdrawn from the combustion chamberA and received in the storage reservoir B. whereupon the next succeedingcharge of air and fuel. entering the combustion chamber A forms asubstantially pure mixture therein and is in its turn exploded. Thecontinued rotation of the rotatory exhaust chamber removes the productsof combustion of this additional charge, in like man ner as before, theremoval in each instance being facilitated by the fact that the carbon texplosion of tu'idiluted charges of air surface of the water containedtherein, and the pressure in the storage chamber grad ually rises to thepredetermined maximum appropriate to the particular use intended. Theheat of combustion. instead of being radiated into the outer air fromthe walls of the combustion chamber is usefully conserved for raisingthe temperature and pressure of the stored gases in the storage chamber.and the lower ten'iperature of the gases in the storage chamber is madeavailable, by the interchange of heat thus effected. to keep down.within practical limits. the temperature of the walls of the combustionchamber itself; so that not only is the calorific energy of thecombustion thus conserved and utilized. but all parts of the apparatusare protected against the prejudicial effects of excessive heat.

As indicated in Fig. 3. the outer extremities of the radial arms may. ifdesired. be provided with tubular branches 2 open at both ends, so thatas the arms a are rotated. through the gaseous atmosphere of the storagechamber E, the rush ()f't'liQ gaseous atmcsphere of the storage chamberthrough the branches 0" will exert an additional suction upon theinterior of the main body portions of the arms and consequently upon theinterior of the combustion chamber itself.

As hereinbefore indicated. it will be noted as characteristic of myinvention that the combustion chamber is. by reason of the exhaustdevice interposed between it and the storage chamber. maintained inacondition of maximum efiiciency; that is to say. it is by reason of theinstantaneous depletion of the products of combustion, kept constantlyin the ideal condition for the reception and and fuel, and the productsof combustion themselves, constituting the motive power gases, areremoved, as formed, into the entirely separate storage chamber, wherethey receive the further expansive effect of the heat radiated from thewalls of the combustion chamber, but without having an opportunity tocontaminate the unexploded charges within that chamber.

\Vhether the combustion taking place within the inner chamber is to beregarded as explosive, or otherwise, depends of course, upon its rate.It will be understood, therefore, that in-the practice of my invention,the rate of combustion may be so chosen as to be either explosive, ornon-explosive, as the case may be, so that the inner chamber may bedesignated generically, as an internal combustion chamber, in the sensejust indicated. So also the rotatory exhaust hamber is to be regardedgenerically as an exhaust or vacuum pump, and, there fore, as but onemeans of exhausting the products oi combustion from the internalcombustion chamlter -other exhaust or vacuum devices for the samepurpose being within the broad contemplation of my invention.

It will be understood that instead of generating power by the confiningof the gases and the heat therein and using that pressure to drivemotors. the products of combustion received in the outer chamber may hemade available for heating purposes only. Thus, for instance, instead ofproviding the 'alls of the outer chamber with a non-conducting jacket.they might be left bare. and be made preferably thin instead of thick.so as to give off their heat readily into a room herein the apparatusmight be employed as a heating medium; or, the heat generated might beemployed for any other useful purpose, as hereinbct'ore indicated.

in the modification shown in Fig. 4, I have illustrated one form orembodiment of means for making the fuel feed valve automatic, ashercinbefore referred to. Thus, the stem of the needle valve m isconnected by a suitable lever t with the piston y exposed to thepressure Within the storage chamber; so that when the pressure risesbeyond a predetermined maximum, the piston will rise against the tensionof the spring 11*, and will cause the lever to close the needle valve a.thereby shutting ofi temporarily the supply of fuel to the generator.When the pressure falls again, the piston will be restored to itsoriginal position by the spring and the supply of fuel will bereestablished. So. also, in Fight, I have illustrated the application ofa vacuum pump Vi which may be of the rotary type shown, in lieu of therotatory exhaust chamber of Fig. 1. The vacuum pump, of whatever typeselected, may be located, as shown, entirely below the level of thewater or other vaporizable liquid within the storage chamber. The vacuumpump may be connected to the generator chamber by a pipe w anddischarges into the space above the water level to the pipe w". It will,of course, be understood that the shafts z of the rotary pistons of thevacuum pump will extend through the Walls of the storage chamber andwill be operated from without bv any suitable source of power. It willfurther be understood that, as in Fig. 1, the apparatus of Fig. 4 willbe provided with a hand-hole closed by a suitable door and with a sparkplug or other suitable device for igniting the explosive or combustiblecharges in tlie generator chamber.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A generator forheat or motive power, consisting of an internal-combustion chamber,means for supplying and igniting combustible charges therein, anoutlying storage chamber inclosing the internal-combustion chamber, andmeans for continuously exhausting into the storage chamber the productsof combustion from the internalcombustion chamber; substantially asdescribed.

2. A generator for heat or motive power, consisting of aninternal-combustion chamber, means for supplying and ignitingcombustible charges therein, an outlying storage chamber inclosing theinternal-combustion chamber, and means for continuously exhausting intothe storage chamber the products of combustion from theinternalcombustion chamber and for preventing the return of any gasesinto the internal-combustion chamber from the storage chamber;substantially as described.

3. A generator for heat or motive power, consisting of aninternal-combustion cham ber, means for supplying and ignitingcombustible charges therein, an outlying storage chamber inc-losing theinternal-combustion chamber, and means for continuously exhausting intothe storage chamber the: products of combustion from theinternalcombustion chamber and for keeping separate the gases in thestorage chamber from the combustible mixture in the internalcombustionchamber; substantially asdescribed;

4. A generator for heat or motive power, consisting of aninternal-combustion chamber, means for supplying and igniting coinbustible charges therein. an outlying storage chamber inclosing theinternal-combustion chamber, and means for continuously exhausting intothe storage chamber the products of combustion from theinternalcombust-ion chamber, said means consisting of a rotatory chamberhaving a series of radiating exhaust arms, and a power-shaft forett'ecting the rotation of said rotatory chamber; substantially asdescribed.

5". A generator for heat or motive power, consisting of aninternal-combustion chamber, means tor supplying and ignitingcombustible charges therein, an outlying storage chamber int-losing thei1itel'nal-combustion chamber, a rotatory exhaust chamber intermediateot the internal combustion chamber and the storage chamber, and meansfor supplying water to the. interior of the rotatory exhaust chamber;substantial'r as described 6. A generator t'or heat or motive power,consisting of an internal-combustion cham ber, n1 ans for supplying andigniting combustible charge therein. an outlying storage chambermclcsing the intermil-combustion chamber, means for continuouslyexhausting into the storage chamber the prod nets ol? combustion fromthe intermil-combustion chamber, said means consisting of a rotarychamber provided with radiating eX- haust pipes and an upwardlyextending cylindrical sleeve, said sleeve inclosing the lower end of aprolongation of the internalcombustion chamber, and ball-bearings forsupporting the rotatory chamber upon said prolongation; substantially asdescribed.

T. A generator for heat or motive power, consisting of an internalcombustion chamber, means for supplying and igniting combustible chargestherein, an exhaust or vacuum device for continuously exhausting theproducts of combustion "from the combustion chamber, and means forutilizing the heat generated; substantially as described.

8. In a generator for heat or motive power, the combination with thegenerator 1 chamber of a rotatorychamber supported on t Mill-bearingsthereon and having radiating discharge arms for the products of(ft'Hl'llJlIS- tion; substantially as described.

9.111 a generator for heat or motive power, an internal combustionchamber having a prolongation provided with an annular flange having topand bottom grooves for the reception of ball-bearings, in combinationwith a rotatory chamber having a cylindrical sleeve, said sleeve beingprovided at its upper end with an internal'flange, said nut and flangehaving grooves for the l all-bearings, and ratjliating arms for thedischarge of the products of combustion of the combustion chamber;substantially as described.

10.111 a generator for heat or motive pow-er. an internal-combustionchamber having a prolongation provided with an annular ttange having topand bottom grooves for the reception of ball-bearings, in combinationwith a rotatory chamber having a cylindrical sleeve, said sleeve beingprovided at its upper end with a screwthreaded nut and at its lower endwith an internal flange, said nut and flange having grooves for theballbearings, and radiating arms for the discharge of the products ofcombustion of the internal combustion chamber. said rotatory chamberalso being provided with a 'ater take-up pipe; substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I attix my signature, in presence. of twowitnesses.

DANIEL LE ROY DRESSER.

\Vitnesses:

'lHoMAs J. ONFJLL, M. J. RODERICK.

